21 and Over (2013)

Ironic that, although this piece of American college dross is titled 21 & Over, it's hard to imagine that it would appeal to anyone over the age of fifteen.

The plot, such as it is, has already been covered. To flatter it with a further description would be giving it credit that it doesn't deserve.

In my opinion (and I admit that I am way out of its' targetted age range) it is humourless, devoid of any charm and it's hard to imagine that it earned enough to pay for its making.

This genre of movie, if it still has a future, can be done so much better. The comparisons with The Hangover are obvious and an indication of how tight direction, a genuinely funny script and talented performers can make all the difference. This offering has none of those.

There are capable actors in the cast and they deserve better but may struggle to maintain any credibility for a while with this on their CV.

Fmovies: In the United States, when a person turns 21, that time is usually land marked with instances filled with excitement thanks to the upcoming adventures of maturing, independence, self- discovery and of courseÂ…you know what, all crap aside, its the day to just get stupid drunk and act a fool like its nobody's business.

Like anybody planning to sleep in a catharsis of vomit and food consumed from the afternoon, 21 & Over is a raunchy, absurd, highly energetic and overly confident comedy that unapologetically assaults its audience members with inappropriateness from beginning to end.

On the day of Jeff Chang's (Justin Chon) 21st birthday, his old friends Casey (Skylar Astin) and Miller (Miles Teller) show up to his residence on campus. Adamant to get him drunk despite a very important medical meeting the next morning that Dr. Chang (François Chau) had arranged, Casey and Miller convince Jeff Chang to go out and party. What starts off with just a few drinks and a bit of misdirection turns out to be a rip-roaring journey into the dark corners of Jeff Chang's college campus.

Where 21 & Over succeeds and other movies like it fail is in the underlying themes and chemistry. In so many coming of age stories, most notably Project X last year, the friendships that were tested were not tested on the basis of any change. Oh sure, a house was destroyed and a neighbourhood was in complete chaos, but what did it matter to the protagonists? In 21 & Over, each one of the three friends are facing the biggest issues of their lives, growing up. Often longer for some people, sometimes a lot quicker and at times unknowingly to others, the theme of growing up is the quintessential magic formula for coming of age romp-comedies. Just look at one of the best comedies of the last decade Wedding Crashers and how that theme was explored with over-sized children as adults.

The chemistry in 21 & Over is spot-on. Miles Teller is reminiscent of a young Vince Vaughan and his wildly fast-talking antics drives most of the ridiculous comedy forward with ease. Skylar Astin much like his previous role in Pitch Perfect, serves as a worthy counterpart to Teller and the eye candy for female audience members to flock to theatres.

If there is one thing that makes me mad about 21 & Over and the previous writing efforts of the comedic writing duo Jon Lucas and Scott Moore is how simple their script ideas are yet how well done their narratives and plot points are. Penning the first two Hangover films, it angers me to think how simple the premise for all their hits were and why I couldn't think of it myself. It seems like the writing duo have a knack for exploiting the obvious yet unexplored on film, adding a lot of fun in the mix.

21 & Over is an outrageously fun time at the movies. Although the film may not be for everyone, 21 & Over is a flashback of so many times when the images on screen are so reminiscent of some of the stupid things that may have happened to you, at one point or another. Don't deny it, just laugh and enjoy the ride. Just like what Jeff Chang's yells at the bouncer before getting in, "21Â…blackjack motherf@&$er!". Its not denying that 21 & Over is definitely a sloppy winner!

"21 and Over" could celebrate that miraculous moment when the final barrier to adulthood falls by the wayside, as the act of legally buying alcohol instantly goes from forbidden act to routine. However, the movie just uses the moment as a springboard to a cynical college-age "Hangover" redo with far fewer developed characters and even less inventive adventures. This is the directorial debut of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who wrote "The Hangover (2009)." "21 & Over" pretends to take chances even as it retraces the same sequences we've already seen in movies like--well--"The Hangover." It's hard to completely hate "21 & Over," but you cannot really laugh at it either. The most you can do is just pity it for not being as outrageous as it thinks it is.

21 and Over fmovies. "21 and Over" is like a 21st Century version of "Animal House" and "Porky's" - only this one comes with a bit of a social conscience, as befits the times we live in.

Miles Teller, Skylar Astin. and Justin Chon play buddies from childhood, now ending their time in college, who reunite to celebrate the 21st birthday of one of them, Jeff Chang (Chon). Astin's Casey is the stuffed shirt who's already on the fast track to a career on Wall Street after he graduates; Chon's Jeff is the stressed-out A-student whose dad is pressuring him to ace a med school interview the next day; and Teller's Miller is the Stiffler-type wise-ass who refuses to grow up, convinced that the only life worth living is one patterned after the "American Pie" movies.

Against their better judgment, Astin and Teller- take Chon out for a celebratory bender, resulting in what anyone with any knowledge of how these things customarily work out in the movies can plainly predict. Yet, beyond all the drinking, brawling, sex rituals and generalized pandemonium, "21 and Over" actually has some poignant things to say about friendship and finding that fine line between becoming a mature adult and selling out to a life devoid of fun and joy. Luckily, the screenplay by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (who also directed the film together) doesn't overdo it in the moralizing department, neatly balancing the insights with a steady stream of ultra-crass frat-boy hijinks. The movie even has some fun skewering the misogyny and sexual double standards that prevail among some of the male youth of today.

The movie is helped immeasurably by the performers who bring both humor and heart to the proceedings. They make the nonsense not only bearable but actually quite enjoyable at times.

This film is about the first 24 hours of a straight A student's 21st birthday.

"21 & Over" is a toned down college version of "The Hangover". The plot is very similar to "The Hangover", and it is wearing thin. Though the parties are ridiculous and the alcohol is plentiful, we all know what will happen and hence the plot does not have the same entertaining effect as the first time around. Fortunately, the subplot of testing the strained friendship and standing up for oneself is a bit refreshing, so "21 & Over" sets itself as slightly different from its parent clone. The Asian female student who swears a lot is the most memorable character, and she deserves a special mention. Her one minute of screen time is so unexpectedly crazy! "21 & Over" is an average comedy, if judged on its own merit. But please, enough with the "The Hangover" clones.

'21 & over' is the latest buddy comedy inspired by 'The Hangover.' It has a similar story to 'The Hangover' except the drinking rampage is the story rather than the morning after.

This film was surprisingly good! I think the last film I saw was 'Movie 43' and that made me lose faith in laughter and happinessÂ… Anyway, '21 & over' certainly isn't the funniest comedy ever but there are a decent amount of laughs and cringe moments. Of course, towards the end the story does go totally over the top. This is a modern classic aspect of American comedies these days so I guess it is just something we will have to get used to. Thankfully, it doesn't really send the film into a downward spiral as it is still redeemable.

The characters in this film are all pretty funny in their own way and the characters you are supposed to like are genuinely likable. The story deals with a lot of important issues in a bizarrely light-hearted manner which is quite odd. A lot of the supporting characters are really funny so you're glad to see them each time they pop up throughout the film. I anticipated a lot of rubbish, cheap racist Asian jokes to be dotted all over the script but only a few did and they were from a character that seemed like the kind of person who would say those kinds of jokes. This was quite relieving, the film did its best to make jokes and references that people of a similar age would recognise and find funny.

Overall, this film is nonsense but the people who created it know this and don't try to pretend it's anything else. This is a good film to watch with your friends and I imagine, once it is released on DVD, will be a popular film for drinking games. Beer Pong anyone?